Date:  Thu, 24 Nov 1994 15:09:39 -0600

From:  Natalie Maynor <maynor[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]RA.MSSTATE.EDU>

Subject: Re: Hope this helps



> this electronic equivalent of "Have a nice day." "Hope this helps" seems to

> refer more to the sender than the receiver or the topic; "Hope this helps"

> seems to translate as "I'm eager to be agreeable." When I've used it, anyhow,

> that has been the closest translation.



I've always interpreted it as more like "I'm not sure this is exactly the

information you were looking for, but I hope it's close enough to be useful."



> Where--and when--did "Hope this helps" appear? And WHY? Do the members of

> this list see this in their discussion groups, or is it specific to the

> electonic discourse of my discipline, composition studies?



I see it more in information-exchange/question-answer type groups than in

other kinds of discussions.

  --Natalie (maynor[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ra.msstate.edu)